Tag: 2024 preview

A first look at the standalone field where Wisconsin will play Northwestern on Oct. 19

Seriously, there is going to be major college football played on this field…

Wisconsin will travel to play the Northwestern Wildcats in Week 8 of the college football season.

The Badgers and Wildcats have faced off in every season since 2013. Wisconsin has made five trips to Evanston, Illinois, in that time.

Related: Big Ten football offensive coordinator rankings for 2024 season

A road trip to play Northwestern used to mean a game at Ryan Field — a field known for abnormally long grass in a high school-like stadium atmosphere. That is no longer the case. Northwestern recently demolished Ryan Field and is in the process of building a new state-of-the-art facility.

The construction will not be completed until the 2026 season. In the meantime, the Wildcats are building a temporary solution.

Wisconsin will play in that temporary stadium when it travels to Northwestern on Oct. 19, 2024. Early reports pointed to Lambeau Field as a possible location. Those reports did not come to fruition. That led to the much-anticipated release of the actual location of the Badgers’ game against the Wildcats this season.

Turns out it is a remote turf field on the shore of Lake Michigan. That’s about it.

To be clear, this is just the location of the field. Northwestern is expected to put together a minor build-out that includes an area for the media and limited seating for season-ticket holders.

But the temporary stadium should take Northwestern’s atmosphere, or lack thereof, to the next level.

The Badgers will make the trip in mid-October looking to avenge a 24-10 loss to the Wildcats in 2023. Wisconsin is expect to improve upon a shaky 7-6 record from a season ago, while Northwestern will likely take a step backward after a surprising 8-5 2023 campaign.

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Wisconsin football enters 2024 with one of PFF’s highest-graded cornerbacks

Wisconsin football enters 2024 with one of PFF’s highest-graded cornerbacks

Wisconsin star cornerback Ricardo Hallman enters the 2024 football season as one of ProFootballFocus’ highest-graded returning Big Ten cornerbacks.

His mark of 83.5 ranked sixth in the conference, behind only Iowa‘s Sebastian Castro, Indiana’s Cedarius Doss and D’Angelo Ponds, Nebraska‘s Tommi Hill and Michigan‘s Aamir Hall.

Related: Which Wisconsin Badgers will be selected in the 2025 NFL draft?

Hallman was a breakout star of the 2023 season for the Badgers. He finished the year with 34 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 7 interceptions and 5 pass deflections. His emergence was a big part of Wisconsin’s defense finishing the season as ESPN SP+’s No. 7-ranked unit.

The senior cornerback enters the 2024 season with expectations of a repeat performance. He and star Hunter Wohler are set to lead a Badgers’ defense that is expected to even improve upon its 2023 output.

Hallman’s play while trailing opposing teams’ top wide receivers will be a big factor in whether that improvement happens.

Wisconsin does face a gauntlet of offensive units in 2024. It will line up against USC (SP+ No. 4 offense), Penn State (SP+ No. 18 offense), Alabama (SP+ No. 7 offense) and Oregon (SP+ No. 1 offense).

The counting statistics may take a hit against that lineup of opponents. But strong years from Hallman, Wohler and Wisconsin’s other defensive leaders will have a big say in whether the Badgers can escape those contests with upset victories.

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Five Wisconsin Badgers given preseason All-Big Ten honors by Phil Steele

Five Wisconsin Badgers given preseason All-Big Ten honors by Phil Steele

Five Wisconsin Badgers were included among Phil Steele’s preseason All-Big Ten teams in his recently-published 2024 college football preview magazine.

Zero of those players made Steele’s All-Big Ten first team. Star safety Hunter Wohler was the lone representative on the second team, star cornerback Ricardo Hallman was the one Badger to make the third team and the trio of WR Will Pauling, OG Joe Huber and OT Riley Mahlman all earned fourth-team honors.

Related: Wisconsin class of 2025 vaults up national rankings after addition of four-star WR Eugene Hilton Jr.

Wohler, Hallman and Pauling are Wisconsin’s most accomplished returning players on defense and offensive respectively. All three are coming off big 2023 seasons with the Badgers. Wohler led the team with 120 tackles, Hallman recorded a whopping seven interceptions and Pauling led Phil Longo’s offense with 74 catches and 837 receiving yards.

That trio should again set the stage for the team’s success this season.

Huber and Mahlman, meanwhile, anchor an offensive line that underwhelmed last season. Both are expected to lead a resurgent season for the offensive line, though cannot do so with strong play from left tackle Jack Nelson, left guard Joe Brunner and center Jake Renfro. I wouldn’t be surprised if Nelson joins that top duo in all-Big Ten contention.

Notable Wisconsin players omitted from Steele’s four teams include kicker Nathanial Vakos, quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, running back Chez Mellusi and linebacker Jake Chaney. Those players figure to be a big reason why things will turn around for the 2024 Badgers — that obviously if they do.

Ohio State leads Steele’s All-Big Ten teams with seven inclusions. Next is Michigan with five, then Iowa, Minnesota and Oregon with three.

Wisconsin ranks No. 9 in Steele’s preseason Big Ten forecast. He sees progress from the 2024 Badgers, though the schedule will be difficult to manage.

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247Sports ranks Wisconsin football’s net 2024 transfer portal haul

247Sports ranks Wisconsin football’s net 2024 transfer portal haul

Wisconsin football’s 2024 transfer portal cycle — including both incoming and outgoing transfers — was ranked No. 9 in the Big Ten by 247Sports.

The Badgers welcomed in 16 transfers with an average rating of 88.29, and saw 23 players depart. That led to a 2.44 overall ‘net rating gain’ according to the recruiting service.

Related: Predicting week-by-week College GameDay locations during 2024 college football season

The Badgers fell behind Ohio State at 5.62, Purdue at 5.07, Nebraska at 3.89, Iowa at 3.57, Oregon at 3.4, Illinois at 2.78, Penn State at 2.72 and Minnesota at 2.55.

More context is obviously necessary, as each team’s incoming and outgoing transfers are often more significant than a number can represent. For example, Wisconsin lost several starters and key contributors from the 2023 team (WR Chimere Dike, WR Skyler Bell, DL Gio Paez). But the program is in the process of turning over the wide receiver room and is well-equipped to deal with the departures. There’s that, and there’s the highly-ranked backups who haven’t lived up to their recruiting ranking (five-star OT Nolan Rucci, four-star QB Nick Evers).

Meanwhile, nearly every incoming transfer is set to start or play a significant role for the 2024 Badgers.

It’s clear that Wisconsin’s portal haul does not compare to Ohio State landing stars S Caleb Downs and RB Quinshon Judkins, or Oregon landing top QB Dillon Gabriel. But in terms of 2024 impact, it should finish higher than No. 9 in the Big Ten.

 

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Wisconsin was a Big Ten leader in a key rushing statistic in 2023

Wisconsin was a Big Ten leader in a key rushing statistic in 2023

Wisconsin was among the Big Ten’s leaders in rushing yards before contact during the 2023 season, according to numbers from Sports Info Solutions.

Specifically, 29.7% of the Badgers’ carries had the running back gain three or more yards before contact with a defender, a mark good for No. 5 in the now-expanded conference.

Related: Where every Big Ten team ranks in ESPN’s 2024 College Football Power Index

The team ranked behind Penn State (30.3%), Ohio State (32.3%), Oregon (34.8%), and USC (35.9%) atop the Big Ten Conference, obviously counting the 2023 numbers from the conference’s new members.

The easy translation of this statistic is that the Wisconsin offensive scheme and line did well to open space for the running backs to attack. That does not automatically mean the Badgers had a top rushing offense, but rather the space was there for Braelon Allen and others to exploit.

There is obviously a strong correlation between yards before contact and overall rushing success. Penn State finished the 2023 season No. 1 in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game with 185.2 (4.7 yards per carry). Wisconsin, meanwhile, finished No. 6 with 161.2 (4.6 yards per carry).

The Nittany Lions boasted the top running back duo of Nic Singleton and Kaytron Allen, while the Badgers were mostly led by Allen.

The numbers are an interesting look at where Wisconsin had success in year one under new offensive coordinator Phil Longo. Longo emphasized keeping the program’s long-standing identity on the ground, and did so solidly for most of the season.

The big question entering 2024 is how can that rushing attack evolve, what can transfer QB Tyler Van Dyke bring to the offense and can 2023’s poor points-per-game number (23.5) skyrocket.

If the baseline of rushing success exists, I’d bet that answer is yes. But the Badgers will face one of college football’s toughest schedules and some of its top defenses. A significant all-around improvement is needed from Longo’s unit this season.

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ESPN: Wisconsin’s quarterback room ‘looking for a reboot’ entering 2024 season

ESPN analyzes Wisconsin’s quarterback room entering 2024 season

Wisconsin starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke was put in the ‘looking for a reboot’ tier of ESPN’s recent analysis of every quarterback room in the country entering the 2024 college football season.

Staff writer David Hale divided all 134 QB rooms into 20 different tiers, from No. 1 with Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Texas‘ Quinn Ewers, Georgia’s Carson Beck and others to No. 20 with a collection of the sports’ least-productive players.

Related: Where every Big Ten team ranks in ESPN’s 2024 College Football Power Index

Van Dyke fell into Hale’s 10th tier along with a Louisville QB room led by starter Tyler Shough, Mississippi State led by Blake Shapen, UCF led by K.J. Jefferson and Washington led by Will Rogers.

The ranking makes sense, as both Van Dyke and Wisconsin offensive coordinator Phil Longo enter the season looking to re-establish themselves at the top of the sport. Or, in other words, each have previously been among the sport’s best at their respective jobs, but have since fallen from those positions.

For the quarterback, his peak performance came in 2021 as a redshirt freshman at Miami when he threw for 2,931 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. That feels like the distant past after consecutive down seasons as a sophomore and junior.

For Longo, that was the last the case during his stop at North Carolina when he led the Tar Heels to some of the nation’s best statistical offenses. Like Van Dyke, he does not hold that sentiment entering 2024 after the Badgers’ offensive struggles last season.

Wisconsin’s long-term outlook does not include Van Dyke under center. But his 2024 season could be the catalyst for a program renaissance, and for Longo’s return to the top of the offensive coordinator ranks.

Here’s some context that ESPN added to the Badger veteran’s final collegiate season:

In his first six games of the season last year, Van Dyke posted a 71.8 Total QBR, completed 70.5% of his passes, 9.4 yards per attempt, threw 16 TDs and 6 interceptions. Then he missed the Clemson game with an injury, which nagged at him the remainder of the season. His stat line the rest of the way: 58.1 Total QBR, 60% completions, 6.6 yards per pass, 3 touchdown passes and 6 picks.

Keeping Van Dyke healthy will be Wisconsin’s main priority this season, especially after 2023 was partially derailed due to an injury to starter Tanner Mordecai. When healthy, Van Dyke has proven to have some serious ability.

The ESPN piece also added a note about Longo and his recent track record:

In his first six years as a Power 5 offensive coordinator, Phil Longo’s teams averaged 3,847 passing yards and 31 touchdown throws per season. Last year — his first at Wisconsin — the Badgers had 2,862 passing yards and just 14 passing touchdowns.

In all, the ‘looking for a reboot’ tier can be applied to the entire Wisconsin football program entering 2024. The on-field product has slipped from where it was from 2016-2019. Fickell, Longo, Van Dyke and others will be charged with re-establishing the standard when the 2024 season kicks off.

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Wisconsin receives low ranking from ESPN FPI entering 2024 season

Wisconsin receives low ranking by ESPN FPI entering 2024 season

The Wisconsin Badgers sit at No. 39 in ESPN’s newly-released 2024 Football Power Index ranking.

The metric projects the team’s record at 5.8-6.2 and gives it a 57.4% chance to make a bowl game, a 3.1% chance to make the College Football Playoff and a 0.5% chance to win the Big Ten.

Related: Anonymous Big Ten coaches weigh in on Wisconsin football in 2024

The Badgers are FPI’s eighth-highest-ranked Big Ten team, behind Oregon at No. 2 overall, Ohio State at No. 4, Penn State at No. 6, Michigan at No. 12, USC at No. 18, Washington at No. 31 and Iowa at No. 37.

Wisconsin enters the season with high expectations despite preparing to face a gauntlet schedule. Head coach Luke Fickell re-made his defensive lineup in the transfer portal, while OC Phil Longo’s offense is expected to reach its stride in year two. It’s hard seeing the team miss a bowl game if the latter takes a big step forward.

Related: Where every Big Ten team ranks in ESPN’s 2024 College FPI rating

ESPN FPI is the lowest on Wisconsin of any metric. ESPN SP+, notably, has the Badgers ranked No. 27 in the nation.

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Wisconsin top transfer portal DL target commits to a Big Ten rival

Wisconsin’s last big transfer DL target commits to USC

Wisconsin’s top transfer portal target, defensive lineman Gavin Meyer, committed to USC on Wednesday.

Meyer chose the Trojans over finalists Wisconsin, Cal and Illinois.

Related: Updated 2024 Wisconsin football game-by-game predictions after spring practice

The veteran lineman entered the transfer portal on May 1 after four years at Wyoming. He entered with major experience and production, having recorded a combined 66 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks over the last two seasons.

Meyer is a Franklin, Wisconsin, native. The Badgers did not extend him an offer when he was a three-star defensive end recruit in the class of 2020. They now lose out on his transfer recruitment to a rival program on the 2024 schedule.

Wisconsin’s quest for a transfer defensive lineman appears to have concluded. The program lost out on C.J. West (committed to Indiana), Khurtiss Perry (committed to Virginia Tech), Jay’Viar Suggs (committed to LSU), Meyer (USC) and Brandon Lane (committed to Louisville) in the last few weeks.

The Badgers are at the 85-scholarship limit after extending one to former walk-on wide receiver Haakon Anderson.

With a clear weakness along the defensive line, the Badgers will enter the 2024 season that has Oregon, Penn State and Alabama scheduled to visit Madison. If it is not a weakness, then at least the team’s thinnest position.

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Wisconsin boasts one of PFF’s highest-graded returning Big Ten running backs

Wisconsin returns one of the Big Ten’s best running backs in 2024:

Wisconsin’s Tawee Walker is one of PFF’s highest-graded returning Big Ten running backs entering 2024.

The former Oklahoma Sooner was one of Luke Fickell’s big-ticket transfer acquisitions this offseason. He wasn’t on the Badgers’ roster in 2023, but today’s definition of ‘returning’ must translate to ‘returning from any college program’ given the significance of the transfer portal.

Related: Big Ten football 2024 season win-loss record predictions for each team after spring practice

Walker rushed for 513 yards and 7 touchdowns on 102 carries as a significant part of the Oklahoma backfield in 2023. He should have a similar role with the Badgers in 2024, as Chez Mellusi also returns to create a formidable 1-2 punch.

Here is where PFF ranked Walker among the rest of the conference’s returning running backs:

Former Wisconsin cornerback transfer commits to Incarnate Word

Former Wisconsin cornerback transfer commits to Incarnate Word

Former Wisconsin cornerback A.J. Tisdell announced his transfer commitment to Incarnate Word on Friday.

Tisdell entered the transfer portal on April 26 after spending only the 2023 season with the Badgers.

Related: Big Ten football 2024 season win-loss record predictions for each team after spring practice

The former three-star recruit was 247Sports’ No. 796 player in the class of 2023, No. 81 cornerback and No. 124 recruit from his home state of Texas. He originally committed to Wisconsin in June of 2022, back when Paul Chryst was still head coach. The cornerback opted to stay committed once Luke Fickell took over after the 2022 season.

He now transfers to an Incarnate Word program that went 8-2 in 2023 in its first season under head coach Clint Killough. The FCS program boasts three Southland Conference Championships since 2018 and is established as one of the better programs at its level of college football.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

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